The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-02


were not for the reassuring presence of his elias
tic smile. He stands with the left foot for
ward and the right leg bent at the knee, and the
foot thrown far back that he can lean away
in the same direction until a straight line from
his head TO the floor would fall far outside his
heel. His arms raised and half extended in
either direction. his fingers folded into mis- hands
to express intense earnestness. though one of
his hands usually holds hat, which he waves
picturesquely. After main taining this pose for
/. minute or two he drops his arms and his
shoulders flop he does So he lounges forward
one leg and sides his weight from one hip to
the other. Then the had hand comes to
level with his head again, he swings half around
on his hips thrusts out his right leg, withdraws
his left lifts the left hand to correspond with
the right. smiles, throws hack his body. and
there in the reverse of his first attitude
There others, and he gets at them all in
much the same way. The orchestra has to play
softly when he sings, because his voice Is too
ment. But he is a strong card, for the girls
cote on him.
An unconscionable lot of nonsense is being
written about what the doting men call 'tonr
athletic girls" You would think that we New
York women had given up housework and sew
ing, and shopping and reading novels, and all
the other feminine forms of exercise, including
tho consumption of candy, and that we are all
boxing and playing tennis in summer, badmin-
ton in winter, riding horses, fencing, swimming.
walking ten miles before breakfast, and good
ness knows what all have been reading it
again, and made up my diminurive mind that
I would whether what have been taking
for padding in the shoulders of SO many gowns
is muscle. after all, and whether the avoirdu-
pois that I supposed came from general beer
drinking and wine at dinner was what the dear
men call feminine physical development OF
course, couldn't go up TO all the other women
H. o:~-o I'D And
please let me see what you have in your Sleeve
or. Pardon me, but I suspect you are SNUG
Cling stoutness in your dress and making be-
lieve it is muscle" I couldn't do that. Not
even Inspector Byrnes is enough of a detective
for that. But / found out. all the same
found out that lady has a swimming school
here three or fonr months in the year, and that
she has number OF little girls to
teach - though nothing like so many
used to crowd the baths
say ten years ago. found that man on
Murray Hill has swimming -schoo and gym
nasium for calisthenics, which is also for little
girls and does not seem to be overburdened with
business / found that there two riding
clubs and six riding schools in town. attended
by about 2. 0GO persons, only one-third of whom
are ladies. found that there are two fencing
clubs and two or three fencing masters, with
parors for teaching the noble art OF self-defenss
against a sort of attack now out OF style and
never resorted to by ladies', except in a picture
first hung in the Paris Salon two years ago and
now hanging in half the tobacco shop windows.
l went these clubs and fencing-rooms,
or rather TO some. Others ] knew about be-
my faddish friends have tried that like
everything else. With what RESULT That there
not forty women learning to fence in this
town. Half of what there to be
actresses who think it clever and STACEY because
male actors have to learn it. l asked one of my
friends how she liked fencing.
why" she said. half a dozen of US all tried
1t with the same experience. We could not get
our clothes on the next morning The feminine
wrist s built for genter doings One nights
exercise rendered it as useless and limp
dust-rag. Four of Us girls club and
have a flat together. and the morning after our
first lesson all four had stay in bed till the
landlady came at noon TO see what was the mat
ter. and learned that they could not put their
clothes on"
1t is just so with all the talk about pedestrian
ism Why, the average New York girl always
rides from Tiffany's to the shopping stores and
from Macys to ONeill's-that's four blocks.
Shed be all pains-like hot house II she had
to walk that far But Mrs Langtry and her
devoted and athletic admirer said to walk
five or ton miles OF a morning, for health and
beauty's sake and SO the men who write about
women take it for granted that all the other
women do tho same thing. It's utterly absurd.
Mr.. Edison is a great inventor but will defy
him to take modern pair Of shoes, average
hustle, glove fitting corset, the new-fanglsd
stocking supporters and tailor m ade gown and
build any kind Of a machine inside that collec-
ton that will walk i've feet without breaking
down. 1t takes a woman-and a smart woman
boxing. Well, now, consider that little too
silly for even a maa to accuse women of doing
l know that men say that there Is nothing
woman wont do if it 10 fashionable, but some
things aren't fashionable and never will be-
Boxing is at the tip top of the list There
women who box rather VINO have tried il
with their brothers their brothers trainers.
but II is perfect farce in which no blows are
exchanged. There are only two places where
be hit with safety-her face and
her arms. and those the very places she
cannot allow herself to be hit upon for black
eye would be worse than death to one OF our
sex-and what woman who goes to the opera or
dresses for dinner, without sleeves. could afford
to have her arms all BACKED and blued?
No, no, hate to spoil good story. especially
one as complimentary to our sex; that Is, if IL is
complimentary to think of US lot of ANA
IONS But we not more athletic than for
merly. do not think much
used to be- The growth of population in cities,
the increasing tendency toward book cultiva-
ton among women. the constantly strengthen
ing demand of our liege lords, the men, that
shall be pretty. and gentle. and dressy, and
witty, all are tending to repress those impulses
that make what the world calls "Tom boys"
Let any who has a sister wife go home
and ask her to go through even dumb-beli ex-
ercise for him, and see what she will say. [ will
wager o pippin against pair OF gloves that she
will say, "What! In of these dresses2
Why, my dear. had to hang a picture to-day,
and in order to do it l was obliged TO undress."
We women can't raise our arms in the clothes
of TO-DAY. We may be angels, but wings are
pinned down. CLARA BELLE.
A Rich Cabinet Minister.
Wa shfngton star
Secretary Whitney is SD used to handling
large sums OF money that he is not careful as